Flavor ingredient regulatory record

3-[(2-Methyl-3-furyl)thio]-4-heptanone

3-[(2-Methyl-3-furyl)thio]-4-heptanone is a thioether in the fruity family, FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3570 (CAS 61295-41-8). Its odor is sweet, fruity, nutty, caramel, earthy.

FEMA
3570
CAS
61295-41-8
JECFA
1085
EU FL
13.077
Formula
C12H18O2S
EC
262-690-1

GRAS status: FEMA GRAS, publication 11. Recorded by FDA in the Substances Added to Food inventory under CAS 61295-41-8.

Structure

2D structure of 3-[(2-Methyl-3-furyl)thio]-4-heptanone
Structure of 3-[(2-Methyl-3-furyl)thio]-4-heptanone, C12H18O2S. Drawn from the canonical SMILES.

Identity

IUPAC name 3-(2-methylfuran-3-yl)sulfanylheptan-4-one
CAS number 61295-41-8
FEMA number 3570
Molecular formula C12H18O2S
Molecular weight 226.34 g/mol
SMILES CCCC(=O)C(CC)Sc1ccoc1C
InChIKey GFRRQSASJZMMJC-UHFFFAOYSA-N
PubChem CID 43598
EC number 262-690-1
FDA UNII P0X95DWC8T
EPA DTXSID DTXSID6047157
Chemical class Thioether
Boiling point -86 °C
Flash point 144 °C

Also known as: 4-Heptanone, 3-[(2-methyl-3-furanyl)thio]-, 3-[(2-Methyl-3-furanyl)thio]-4-heptanone, 3-(2-methyl-3-furylthio)-4-heptanone, 3-((2-methyl-3-furyl)thio)-4-heptanone, 3-[(2-methylfuran-3-yl)sulfanyl]heptan-4-one, 3-((2-methyl-3-furyl)thio)heptan-4-one, 1,3-diethylacetonyl 3-methyl-3-furyl sulfide, 4-heptanone, 3-((2-methyl-3-furanyl)thio)-, 4-heptanone, 3-((2-methyl-3-furyl)thio)-, 3-[(2-methyl-3-furanyl)thio]-4-heptanone, 3-[(2-methyl-3-furyl)thio]heptan-4-one, 3-((2-methyl-3-furanyl)thio)-4-heptanone.

Can 3-[(2-Methyl-3-furyl)thio]-4-heptanone be labeled natural?

Since 3-[(2-Methyl-3-furyl)thio]-4-heptanone is found in nature, US labeling follows how it was obtained: natural flavor from a natural source and a natural process, artificial when 3-[(2-Methyl-3-furyl)thio]-4-heptanone is synthesized. In the EU and UK the natural claim likewise needs the natural route, while Mercosur and Mexico keep a third class, identical-to-natural, for the synthetic material.

United States
Natural or artificial, by process
European Union and UK
Natural only from natural material
Mercosur and Mexico
Natural or identical-to-natural

How each market defines the classes: natural vs artificial flavor under 21 CFR 101.22.

Regulatory status, with citations

United States

3-[(2-Methyl-3-furyl)thio]-4-heptanone is FEMA GRAS under FEMA number 3570. It is cited in the Code of Federal Regulations at 21 CFR 182.20.

21 CFR 182.20

European Union and United Kingdom

Listed on the Union List of flavouring substances as FL 13.077, Annex I Part A under Regulation (EC) 1334/2008, evaluation status approved (EFSA). The UK retains the same list.

JECFA (WHO / FAO)

JECFA number 1085, evaluated at the 59th meeting in 2002. no safety concern at current levels of intake.

JECFA monograph

Other US flags

Not on the California Proposition 65 list.

Odor and taste

Odor: Sweet, fruity, nutty, caramel, earthy.

Taste: Sweet, rich, slightly nutty.

Where it is used

3-[(2-Methyl-3-furyl)thio]-4-heptanone is used in beverage, confection, bakery and savory dishes, typically as a fruity note.

Structurally similar flavor ingredients

Flavor ingredients with a GRAS determination closest to 3-[(2-Methyl-3-furyl)thio]-4-heptanone by structure. Whether one can replace it is a sensory and regulatory call; the reformulation tool works that through.

MaterialFEMASimilarityOccurrence
4-[(2-Methyl-3-furyl)thio]-5-nonanone357188%In nature
2,6-Dimethyl-3-[(2-methyl-3-furyl)thio]-4-heptanone353878%In nature
3-[(2-Methyl-3-furyl)thio]-2-butanone405674%Not determined
2,5-Dimethyl-3-thiofuroylfuran348169%Not determined
bis-(2-Methyl-3-furyl) disulfide325960%In nature

More thioethers in this index

3-[(2-Methyl-3-furyl)thio]-2-butanone · 4-[(2-Methyl-3-furyl)thio]-5-nonanone · Propyl furfuryl disulfide · bis-(2-Methyl-3-furyl) disulfide

3-[(2-Methyl-3-furyl)thio]-4-heptanone FAQ

Is 3-[(2-Methyl-3-furyl)thio]-4-heptanone FEMA GRAS?

Yes. The FEMA Expert Panel lists 3-[(2-Methyl-3-furyl)thio]-4-heptanone as GRAS under FEMA number 3570. It is also codified at 21 CFR 182.20.

What are the FEMA and CAS numbers for 3-[(2-Methyl-3-furyl)thio]-4-heptanone?

3-[(2-Methyl-3-furyl)thio]-4-heptanone is FEMA 3570, CAS 61295-41-8. FEMA files it in the fruity flavor category.

Does 3-[(2-Methyl-3-furyl)thio]-4-heptanone count as natural in the US and the EU?

3-[(2-Methyl-3-furyl)thio]-4-heptanone occurs in nature, so the label depends on the route: 3-[(2-Methyl-3-furyl)thio]-4-heptanone won from a natural source by a physical, enzymatic or microbiological process is natural flavor in the United States, and synthesized 3-[(2-Methyl-3-furyl)thio]-4-heptanone is artificial. The EU and UK follow the same logic without a middle class; Mercosur and Mexico label synthetic 3-[(2-Methyl-3-furyl)thio]-4-heptanone identical-to-natural.

Is 3-[(2-Methyl-3-furyl)thio]-4-heptanone on the EU Union List?

3-[(2-Methyl-3-furyl)thio]-4-heptanone is on the EU Union List of flavouring substances as FL 13.077 (Annex I Part A) under Regulation 1334/2008.

Has JECFA evaluated 3-[(2-Methyl-3-furyl)thio]-4-heptanone?

Yes. JECFA number 1085, evaluated at the 59th meeting in 2002. Conclusion: no safety concern at current levels of intake.

How is 3-[(2-Methyl-3-furyl)thio]-4-heptanone described, and where does it show up?

Flavorists describe 3-[(2-Methyl-3-furyl)thio]-4-heptanone as sweet, fruity, nutty, caramel, earthy. On the palate it is sweet, rich, slightly nutty. It is used in beverage, confection, bakery and savory dishes.

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Sources and attribution. The identity and regulatory facts on this page are taken from the FDA Substances Added to Food inventory, a US government record, which lists this substance as 3-((2-METHYL-3-FURYL)THIO)-4-HEPTANONE under CAS 61295-41-8 and carries its FEMA number, its JECFA flavor number. The inventory is searchable at FDA. FDA records its technical effect as flavoring agent or adjuvant.

A FEMA GRAS conclusion is reached by the Expert Panel of the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association of the United States, and the FEMA number names that conclusion. FEMA publishes its own entry for this substance in the FEMA Flavor Library, which is the authoritative record of what the Panel decided and is worth reading alongside this page.

Ambrose Compliance is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by FEMA. FEMA and FEMA GRAS are used here as identifiers for a published regulatory determination, not as marks of any relationship between FEMA and Ambrose.

About this page. Facts come from the FDA Substances Added to Food inventory, the Code of Federal Regulations, the EPA TSCA Inventory, the EU Union List, JECFA and the Ambrose database, with FEMA's published determination cited where it applies; parts of the text are written by Ambrose AI, which can make mistakes. Check the cited source before relying on anything here. This is not regulatory or legal advice.